


Carson and Glover's Christmas Misadventure

by PL1



Category: The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Borrowing, Brothers, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Cookies, GT, Stocking - Freeform, TINY - Freeform, christmas gt, giant tiny - Freeform, out for supplies, tree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8928790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PL1/pseuds/PL1
Summary: Carson and Glover Pantry know, as any good borrower knows, that some of the best borrowings can be found on Christmas Eve. However, even they aren't prepared for what they'll find when they go investigating the tree and the stockings.





	

“Carson, think we’ll see Santa?” Glover whispered, trailing along behind his older brother. His brown eyes were opened wide thanks to the dim light inside the walls.

Carson rolled his eyes and turned back to face his silly little brother. The boy was only twelve, but he really shouldn’t still believe in stories like that. “You know Santa isn’t real, ‘Ver. That’s just a Bean story.”

Glover frowned. “But I heard the kid Beans talking about it. They even went to bed early to make sure Santa would come. They _never_ go to bed early.”

Carson shook his head, but opted not to argue any further. The Beans going to bed early was the only reason Glover was allowed to go borrowing tonight. He was far too curious for the normal runs. Mother and Pops worried that the boy would get himself Seen one day just by exploring too far.

Carson Pantry was eighteen and basically an adult, but he stayed with his family to help look after his little brother. Their home was tucked away between an air duct and the back wall of the pantry of the Bean’s house. Living near the pantry meant they didn’t often have to go very far to borrow what they needed. But Carson knew that tonight, just like the same night every other year, some of the best borrowings could be found in the vast sitting room.

Really, the Beans just left food sitting out. It was too easy.

“Carson?” Glover blurted.

Carson hissed at Glover to shush, but waited for his question anyway, raising an eyebrow.

Glover looked a little sheepish and then asked in a much softer tone, “Think there’s gonna be candy?”

At that, Carson grinned and ruffled his little brother’s messy brown hair. “So much candy,” he assured him in a whisper. Then, he turned to continue through their passages through the wall. The house creaked and settled with familiar, comforting noises all around. The resident Beans were all asleep quite soundly on the second story.

They made it the rest of the way in silence, though not without a lot of effort on Glover’s part. He was always so excited for a chance to go borrowing. He didn’t understand why Mum was so worried about him. He was pretty tall for his age, standing almost four inches high. Carson’s five inch height was just around the corner for Ver, he just _knew_ it.

Carson glanced over at his little brother with a grin before digging his fingers into a seam in the kick molding along the base of the wall. The door, invisible to the Beans’ big eyes, pulled into the wall, leaving space for the two borrowers to duck into the expansive room.

Carson had to smirk at Glover’s reaction. Even in the corner of his eyes he could easily make out the boy’s dropped jaw and wide eyes. The soft glow of the hanging lights in the room sparkled in the boy’s eyes. Carson would be lying if he said he didn’t react the same way the first time he saw the Tree.

Every year, the Beans brought in a live evergreen tree for Christmas. They kept white felt around the bottom to mimic the appearance of snow, and they wrapped it in string lights all the way round to the top. This year the tree nearly brushed the ceiling, so impossibly high above the borrower brothers’ heads. The same glittery plastic star mounted the very top of the tree. Candy canes, shimmering orbs, and handmade crafts built by the young Beans also adorned the branches.

“Oh, gosh, Carson! I heard how heavy it must have been when they carried it in but I had no idea Christmas trees were so _tall!_ ” Glover whispered reverently. Carson pulled their door shut behind them while he let his little brother take in the appearance of the room.

The tree stood prominently in front of the huge bay windows, providing most of the light in the room. The cushy blue sofas on two walls framed the archway that led to the dining room and beyond. A cozy fireplace took up the fourth wall, the grate pulled closed and the gas turned off. The mantel was decorated with cream-colored tinsel, and four fluffy red stockings hung over the edge.

“Santa puts candy in those socks, right Carson?” Glover asked as his brother led him along the side of one of the couches, looking back and forth cautiously. Carson was ready to dive under the furniture at the first sign of danger.

“No, ‘Ver. I told ya, Santa’s not real. Those are just for show,” Carson mumbled, his eyes surveying the room for the borrowings. They zeroed in on a plate sitting on the coffee table. _Bingo._ “Get your pack ready,” he instructed as the two of them stepped out in the open.

Glover could feel his heart pounding as they left the shadow of the sofa. He whipped his gaze around even faster, craning his neck this way and that to take in the transformed appearance of the room. The last time he’d seen it from under the couch by their door, and it was not nearly as festive. He shuffled along behind his brother, awestruck by all of the sparkly things on the Christmas tree. Carson had his eyes fixed on the prize, but Glover couldn’t help but let his gaze wander. 

“Alright, ‘Ver, wait here,” Carson instructed in a low voice. When Glover didn’t answer right away, the older borrower snapped his fingers in front of his eyes to get his attention. “Got it? Don’t go wandering, you hear?”

Glover nodded enthusiastically, though his eyes drifted back to the Christmas tree almost immediately. It was so _pretty_. His eyes traced the light-colored tinsel on the mantel, wondering if they’d be able to take some back to decorate their home behind the pantry. Glover started trying to think of a way to convince Carson.

In the meantime, Carson had already thrown his grappling-fishhook upwards, latching it onto the edge of the coffee table. He climbed like an expert, looping the twine around his leg and gripping it between his feet. It took less than a minute to scale the massive piece of furniture and haul himself over the side. Carson smirked at the spread before him.

A salad plate laden with cookies lay in the middle of the table, alongside one of the young Bean’s letters to Santa. The cookies themselves would be just wider than a dinner plate for a borrower. Carson hefted one and slipped it into his shoulder bag. He considered taking another, when a bowl next to the plate caught his attention. “Happy Christmas indeed,” he muttered, striding over to it. The chocolate truffles were wrapped in festive, crinkly foil. Normally Carson would never touch something that could make such an obvious noise. But he’d promised Glover some candy.

Glover was startled out of his observations of the room when something thumped to the ground several inches from him. His face lit up as his eyes took in the wrapped candy, easily the size of a huge cake to the young borrower. He went to retrieve it, stuffing it into his own bag, even as Carson abseiled back to the ground. “Wow, Carson, I can’t believe it! It even smells Christmassy,” Glover whispered, a wide grin stretched across his face.

Carson couldn’t help but smile back. The kid may be way too excitable for a healthy borrower, but his smile was too contagious. He ruffled his hair. “Well, ‘Ver, anything else you wanted to borrow tonight? I think the Beans will be asleep for a while before we need to get going.”

“Can we get some tinsel?” Glover asked immediately. He smiled sheepishly, knowing he’d probably blurted too loud.

Carson looked up at where the shiny material hung, very high in the air. They could probably make off with just a tuft of it and the Beans wouldn’t notice. After a long pause, he finally nodded. “Yeah, ‘Ver. You can even practice your climbing on the Christmas tree to get up there.”

“Yes!” Glover crowed, immediately throwing his hands over his mouth. His cheeks reddened under his brother’s scolding gaze, but he wasn’t fazed for long. Though Carson moved towards the base of the tree with caution, Glover darted across the floor with boundless energy pulling him forward. Even the fields of soft felt around the base didn’t slow him down very much.

Borrowers have always been very good climbers. Even so, Glover didn’t have as much practice as his brother. Even though he’d gotten such a healthy head start on the older borrower, Carson found hand- and foot-holds with the kind of skill that only came with practice. “Come on, ‘Ver, you can climb faster than that,” he teased, pausing several branches above to look back down.

“H-hey! I don’t get to go borrowing as much as you do!” Glover protested. Still, he did his best to climb faster, catching up to his brother before they both hurried upwards into the higher branches of the glistening Christmas tree. It was a little easier to feel the faint swaying up at that height.

“Careful, ‘Ver,” Carson muttered. They’d reached the point of the tree that was level with the mantel, several feet in the air. The younger borrower kept his feet firmly planted on a branch, his arms wrapped as far around the trunk as he could manage. Carson, however, carefully edged out onto the branch. “Wait here if you want. But if you’re gonna follow, wait until I’m on the bricks, okay?”

“Okay, Carson,” Glover squeaked. Being up this high was both frightening and completely exhilarating. Even so, he paled to see his brother take slow, sure steps along the tree branch towards the mantel. He balanced very well, his arms slightly extended from his sides. Glover could only hope to be as sure as his big brother one day.

Carson hopped onto the bricks, turning back to see his brother still clinging to the tree. “Don’t rush yourself,” he called in a loud whisper. “Just one step at a time, okay, ‘Ver?” He smiled encouragingly upon seeing the boy nod shakily. Carson remembered his first time climbing a Christmas tree. The boy would probably regain his bravery very soon.

The tinsel hung lowest right at the middle of the mantel. Carson strode over to it, and found that he could reach the stuff if he stood on his tiptoes. He grabbed hold of it carefully, making sure he wouldn’t pull the whole thing down. Then, he fished his dull blade out of his side pocket; it was made of an old piece of broken china. It sawed through the fluffy tinsel with relative ease, and Carson set about stuffing the material into his bag to take home. Mother would probably really like it.

The sparkling stuff seemed endless; no matter how much he cut down, the remainder still seemed impossibly cheery and full. Carson smirked and turned to point this out to Glover. But he paused to watch, not wanting to distract him. Glover was taking tentative steps out onto a branch of the Christmas tree.

“Look, Carson, I’m doing it!” Glover announced proudly. He could see his brother eyeing him now, which only made him bolder. He could see the room from that great height now, and Glover’s eyes lit up. He was dazzled by the colorful lights all around him, and by the festive decorations that the Beans had stuck to all the walls. “It’s so cool up here!”

“Just be careful, ‘Ver, you got it?” Carson warned, inching towards the edge of the mantel to keep a better eye on his little brother.

“I got it, Carson,” Glover reassured him. He waved and grinned, but wobbled and immediately had to return his arm to its balanced stance. He chuckled breathlessly, his heart pounding. He was reminded of just how high up he stood, and how precarious the branch could be. The weight of the candy in his bag suddenly felt like it was a very delicate counterweight.

Carson shook his head and was considering getting more tinsel when a chilling sound rattled through him. A huge _THUMP_ echoed from above, and Carson looked to the ceiling in surprise. Had the Beans somehow heard them?!

Glover, spooked by the noise, turned to head back for the trunk of the tree. But, his foot slipped and he tumbled over the side with a yelp. “Carson!” he cried, barely realizing that he’d stopped falling almost as soon as he’d begun.

“Glover!” Carson called back, staring with pure fear at the mess his brother had gotten into. The boy hadn’t fallen straight to the floor, but he was still quite stuck. His jacket had caught on one branch lower, suspending him in the air like the many decorations hanging on the tree. “D-don’t move, ‘Ver, I’m coming!” Carson assured him.

“I-I’m slipping!” Glover answered, fear making his voice break. He saw his only chance, and kicked his legs to try to swing before his jacket came loose. For a heart-pounding moment, Glover Pantry knew what freefall felt like. And then, he’d wrapped his arms and legs around a glittery red Christmas orb, hanging from a branch of the tree. He hung on for dear life, though the branch swayed dangerously thanks to his bid for safety.

Carson was already running along the mantel towards the tree, readying his hook. “I’m on my way, ‘Ver,” he called. But, another resounding _THUNK_ , followed by an eerie scraping noise, startled the borrower. Carson tripped over his own feet, and before he could even cry out, he had fallen over the side. He was surrounded by something fluffy and red before coming to a stop in the bottom of one of the stockings hung up by the fireplace. His heart pounded as he willed it back down from its temporary residence in his throat.

Carson could hear his brother calling his name from outside the stocking. He squirmed around, trying to regain his footing. “You’re gonna be okay, ‘Ver,” Carson cried. “I’ll be out of here in just … a … second.” There was no way he’d be able to get his grappling hook to the edge of the stocking. He tried getting handfuls of the material to climb out, but he fell back to the bottom with a faint “oof!”

The scraping noise continued, and Glover’s heart hammered in his chest. His arms were already beginning to get sore from gripping the cumbersome Christmas ornament. He could see the lump that was his big brother struggling to escape the giant stocking. Glover took rapid breaths, trying to find a way out of the mess he’d fallen into. If he tried to reach up to grab the tree branch, he’d lose his grip on the ornament for sure and go plummeting to his death.

A faint motion in the fireplace caught the young borrower’s eyes. He stared at the grate, mouth agape, as it slowly moved aside. Glover’s eyes opened wider and wider as the metal screens seemed to move on their own, making room for the gigantic, red-coated Bean that stepped out of the fireplace onto the carpet.

“Wha? B-b-but y-you’re just a B-Bean story!” Glover sputtered, staring up at the huge, round-cheeked face. _Who knew Santa would be so tall?!_

Carson stopped moving. He thought he had heard Bean footsteps entering the room, but the iconic laugh that rumbled out of the man … “No way,” he muttered. He heard his brother yelp in surprise, and suddenly Carson struggled even more to escape the stocking that had trapped him. “You leave him alone! I-I’m warning you!”

“What’s this?” a deep voice asked aloud, though it was clear by his tone that the man was talking to himself. Carson didn’t have time to dwell on it, because he felt the stocking shifting. He bit back a cry of alarm when thick, leather-gloved fingers probed down into the stocking towards him. Though the borrower tried to press himself as far into the bottom of the stocking as he could, he was easily wrapped up in the humongous fist and dragged out. Carson closed his eyes tight and pushed with his arms and legs at the hand around him. The Bean did not relent, though he wasn’t squeezing Carson’s tiny body.

What had happened to Glover? He hadn’t heard his brother since his stammering words before. Was it really Santa Clause? Then why had he grabbed Carson like that? Where was he carrying him now? “L-let me go!” Carson yelled, though his voice was almost entirely muffled by the black glove surrounding him.

And then, suddenly, the hand opened up. Carson rolled off of the fingers and onto the carpet. He scrambled to his feet, looking around to get his bearings. He had been set down near the wall, just a few steps from the door into the walls. He looked up to see a bearded man dressed in red leaning over him. Santa Clause had a jolly twinkle in his eyes as he regarded the tiny being on the floor.

“You two should be more careful,” he told them. Then, his other hand approached, and Carson saw the Christmas ornament resting in his palm. Glover sat next to it, looking completely dazed. But he scrambled to the floor as soon as it was close enough, and Carson grabbed his shoulders, looking his little brother over for injuries.

“Carson,” Glover whispered, a grin slowly creeping onto his face. “Carson, it’s _Santa,_ ” he insisted.

Carson glanced up at the man, who still watched them with a kind smile. “Y-yeah, how about that. You were right, ‘Ver,” he answered weakly. Carson was a bundle of nerves. “N-now we should let him, uh, get to work. Let’s go.”

Glover didn’t want to leave just yet, but the recent scare left him without the boldness to argue. He let Carson pull on his arm towards the door in the wall. Both of them flinched when a gloved hand rested in front of them like a wall. Glover turned to look up at Santa. The Bean had caught him just as the ornament slipped off the tree. Was he going to let them go now?

“Hold on, now. I’ve got something for the both of you,” the man said with a deep chuckle. He reached into one of his fur-lined pockets and brought his closed fist towards them. Glover took a step forward, curious, though Carson hung back. Santa opened his palm to reveal two tiny parcels, wrapped in red tissue paper and gold thread. Glover’s smile won the battle and he grinned ear to ear, looking up at the huge Bean.

“Are these for us?!” he asked excitedly, his hands already twitching. He’d never ever had a present that he could actually open before like this!

Carson could hardly believe his eyes either. But, Santa nodded. Carson felt himself tense up when Glover bounded right up to the giant hand to retrieve the two presents, one in each arm. The boy turned to him with a completely awestruck smile on his face. Behind him, the Bean’s hand retreated as the man stood to his full height.

“C-come on back now, ‘Ver,” Carson beckoned him. Glover complied, handing him one of the gifts as he approached. Carson hefted it in two hands thoughtfully, before finally finding the courage to look up at the man who had given them. He tilted his head all the way back. “Um, thank you,” he said meekly. “Thank you for helping us and for the, um, presents.”

“Ohoho, think nothing of it, my boy. You run along now and get to bed. Merry Christmas!”

Carson didn’t waste time doing as the man said. He had the door open in seconds, but Glover still watched as Santa turned towards the Christmas tree. “Merry Christmas!” he called, before jogging back to join his older brother inside the walls.

“This is definitely the best Christmas _ever_ ,” Glover announced, as the two of them made their way back to their home behind the pantry.


End file.
